A pneumatic tire has bead portions that engage a wheel. New tires may be mounted to wheels in an assembly line, and the wheel and tire assembly may be mounted to a vehicle or shipped to another location. New tires may also be shipped to a dealership or mechanic, where they are mounted to existing wheels. If a tire does not sit properly in a wheel, it is removed and remounted to the wheel. A tire with stiff bead portions may be more difficult to mount to the wheel or it may not sit properly on a wheel when it is mounted.